


Morals and Tongues

by Aaravosa (Lokiiwood)



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Plot, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-11-14 22:26:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18061322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokiiwood/pseuds/Aaravosa
Summary: Dark, blue skin more beautiful than any starry night - and they smiled back at her. All she asked for was a new friend, but at what cost?------Aaravos walked away to gather the things he’d need to begin a new summon. She stayed there the whole time while one-by-one, items gathered on the table. Would she follow through? All he could do was try.By the time he got the last thing – the dagger for the blood exchange – she’d already set up her own, dusty table. She’d already begun without him requesting it.She was happy.She was eager.She wastrusting.And she was just what he needed.





	1. Just What He Needed

**Author's Note:**

> Eventual and gradual rating change. ;0

“Are you real?”

He read her lips, excitement over a new face making him nearly drop the book in his hands in his moment of distraction. Aaravos closed it gently, returning it to the shelf, before gliding across the room to the mirror. Her eyes widened as he approached and a smile touched his lips.

He could almost smell the naiveté off of her. This could be another chance – for fun or freedom.

She hesitantly waved and he curled his fingers back.  The mirror was in a storage room, but he couldn’t remember where. It’d been so long. But the bug was still active, he just needed to get her to search for it so he could communicate.

Her mouth began running and he slowly shook his head. A finger pointed to his ear and she frowned, her lips moving to a pout.

“Patience,” he mouthed.

She bounced on her heels and he left to find his materials.  There were no pens here, but he could still write. Aaravos grabbed a case of crushed herbs and parchment, returning to the front of the mirror and laying them on the table. How much time did he have? Was she even allowed to be in this storage room? It hadn’t been opened for a decade (or so he’d noticed). He glanced up at the eager young woman and watched her plop down to the floor.

Apparently, he had time.

He poured some of the grain onto the parchment and stepped back to recite the spell. It was easy enough, just a mess to clean up after. The grain rearranged itself as he willed – into the shape of his bug assistant and the words “Find this” sprawled over the top. Carefully, he picked it up and showed it to the mirror. The woman jumped up, hands pressed against the glass, as she stared at the parchment.

He pulled it away with a smile and she nodded, rushing off to do the task.

So he waited.

Aaravos walked back to the book he’d been rereading, taking it off the shelf and flipping through its now-heavily creased pages. He’d have to do a restoration spell soon. He skimmed through its contents again, captivated by the handwritten words someone long before his time had written down. What were they like? How many copies of this existed? Did they know what would become of it and be used for?

Did they know it’d be trapped here with him?

His eyes caught movement and he put the book back, returning to see the woman proudly holding the closed jar with the creature inside. Aaravos circled his finger and she looked down, popping off the cork lid and then looking expectantly at him again.

Now they could talk. He gestured to free the bug and she dumped it onto her hand, frowning at it.

“Excellent work.”

The woman yelped and slammed her hand forward, squishing the bug into the mirror and effectively ending their communication.

What…

She tore her hand away and glanced between it and him.

Aaravos shook his head. Wow. She certainly was something, wasn’t she? His initial shock and disappointment turned into a chuckle.

What a strange woman.

Seeing her mistake, she began apologizing. Or so he guessed – of the few people he’d come across, none had expressed sadness as opposed to resentment, suspicion, or fear.

Aaravos walked away to gather the things he’d need to begin a new summon. She stayed there the whole time while one-by-one, items gathered on the table. Would she follow through? All he could do was try.

By the time he got the last thing – the dagger for the blood exchange – she’d already set up her own, dusty table. She’d already begun without him requesting it.

She was happy.

She was eager.

She was _trusting_.

And she was just what he needed.


	2. His Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaravos is particular with plans and intentions. But with her, maybe he doesn't need to be.

Aaravos hummed to himself, now that he had his voice back. It wasn’t as if he missed it, too used to it being the only sound he could hear, but he knew he might be giving it up again soon enough. The vibrations in his throat were strange yet so familiar. The blade glistened in his hand. His eyes slowly rose to hers, gauging, waiting. How did she feel now? She finally stopped mirroring all his movements now that they were at the final step. Her own rusty dagger, found through scavenging dusty and molding boxes in wherever this storage room was, hesitated in her grasp.

She stared back at him, eyebrows furrowing and lightly biting her lip.

It’s not like he could force her. Aaravos directed her attention back to the age-old weapon she held and instead gave an encouraging smile. Still, she didn't move. Well, even the most naïve humans still had their limits, no?

The woman closed her eyes. But it wasn’t over.

Red trickled down from her palm into the jar, a puff of purple smoke instantly gasping into the air when the blood hit. Aaravos quickly did the same, excitement coursing through his veins at getting this far. He gave up a part of him easily – his voice. Although it wasn’t painful, an uncomfortable heat surged in his lungs to steal away his sense and finally spilled out of his mouth – the purple manifestation crawling out of his lips to fall into the newly opened portal on his table.

The woman winced and the dagger fell from her hands. She pressed the wound to her chest, but her wide eyes ignored the pain and focused on the mystical concoction before her. The creature – the part of him he gave up – was teleported to the other side.

To freedom.

Still wincing, she still approached anyway. Aaravos' smile grew. Amazing. He could already hear her breathing – the sound of wind outside – the creak of where she stood on old wood. The sounds rejuvenated him as his Voice crawled onto her arm and quickly made its way up to her neck. She flinched but made no moves to stop it even when it rested neatly atop her ear.

“Speak.”

She gasped, eyes darting between him in the mirror and to the creature she couldn’t see on her skin.

“H-hello…”

His hand pressed onto the cool glass that made his prison’s door. It was better than he imagined. It was a feminine voice completely unlike his. It didn't have the confidence nor the deep tremors of his, but even in the single word, he could tell she was light-hearted. He assumed as much, but not to this extent. The practiced words he wanted to say didn’t fall from his lips.

It wouldn’t work with her, would it?

A person like this didn’t know who he was, didn’t do this for mere power and favors. So what would someone like her want? What could he do to make her crave his presence, to not cover the mirror and leave him?

“What is your name?” he asked.

“I…h-how…?”

He waited patiently for her to find her words, ever intrigued by her indecision even when just before this she’d been so sure. Just hearing another person’s voice was enough, even if they weren’t saying much just yet.

“M-my…I…don’t remem…ber?”

He chuckled, eyes crinkling. Was she so much in shock that even this could make her forget her name? Intriguing, albeit a little disappointing. Aaravos thoughts went in circles. If she wanted for nothing, then there wasn’t a reason for her to stay here. If she didn’t have the courage to talk to a stranger, then she certainly wouldn’t have the courage to do anything for him in the future.

“You don’t remember your name?”

“You’re really talking! You’re real? You’re not just a magic mirror? Where are you?”

Her questions were expected, just not all at once when she couldn’t form a sentence a second before.

Her hand hurriedly reached to where he was pressed to the glass before she winced and pulled away, a small "Ow” heard.

“Shall I assist you with your injury?”

“You can do that?”

“Of course. Shall I?”

“Yeah…”

A perfect opportunity to showcase his talents. Perhaps a small demonstration of what he could provide would entice her. His eyes glowed and she yelped, her own eyes mirroring his. Green spilled out, sparkling like lightning, while he moved his hands in the swirling motion the spell required. Instantly, the blood surrounding her cut and any infection that would've occurred from a rusting blade vanished, and the cut on her palm slowly began to fade, piece by piece, as if reversing time itself.

The green faded and she blinked down at her healed hand.

“Oh my god…how did you do that?”

“I am an archwizard with control over all forms of magic. Healing is easy for me. Now that we are connected, I can heal you at any time among other things that you desire.”

Unlimited power at her fingertips.

She clenched her healed hand in a loose fist as she regarded him, dark brown eyes shining in the dim light of the storage room.

“That’s amazing…I’ve never met an archwizard before.”

 “It’s an honor to meet your acquaintance.”

“Ah! M-my name! I’m Kayanar! What’s yours?”

“My name would mean nothing to you, dear Kayanar,” he mused. Of course it wouldn’t, not with the inability to research him. But although he didn’t have any information on her yet, the threat of her just uttering his name to acquaintances might lead to his mirror being moved. “However, I am at your service. Please, make a request and I will try to assist you.”

“Oh…can we just talk then?”

“I can do that. What would you like to discuss?”

“I-I’m just…you’re really beautiful! Are you an elf?”

Aaravos blinked. “Many thanks. Yes, I am a Startouch elf.”

“Wow…so, hmm…” She trailed off as she sank onto the floor, sitting as she stared up at him.

“I have extensive knowledge over magic and history, both known and unknown. Do those topics interest you?”

“Mmm…not really,” she sighed.

This wasn’t going well, he should change the topic if he had any hopes of roping her in.

“Well-,” he began.

“Ah! You brought this voice thing here, right? Can you come visit me, too?”

“…Pardon? You would like my in-person company?”

She grinned up at him. “Yeah! I don’t have any friends here, but I really like this town. There’s this place that sells really nice crab burgers, completely unique. I could buy you dinner.”

Aaravos’ misconceptions were completely shattered.

Here he was, plotting for a way to build her trust and her reliance on him in hopes she’d even want to continue conversing with him.

And she wanted to free him.

Free _him_.

Aaravos smiled a little wider. The goalpost had been moved. “That sounds lovely. In fact, it sounds like just what I needed.”

“Yay!” she cheered quietly, excitement lightening her features.

“My name…”

“Oh?”

“My name is Aaravos.”

 


	3. For Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaravos is more insecure than he realizes.

She returned.

Aaravos held a textual masterpiece in his hands, a heavy book on wayfaring magic. He'd more or less memorized each page already but wanted a refresher. His old notes of failed and successful spells were sprawled in the margins as he carefully closed the pages.

Relief relaxed his shoulders as she approached, a grin on her face and no hesitation in her steps. Kayanar spoke eagerly and loudly, her words muffled from the distance to Voice, but he watched her lips move rapidly all the same.

“Back as promised. Sorry I didn't take your critter friend, where I sleep is pretty particular on bugs and I didn't wanna squish it...again.”

As if on cue, Voice crawled from its hiding place under the table and fit itself neatly on her earlobe. She flinched again but gave a small grin.

“I’m delighted to have your company again,” he smiled. And he was - a delight that came from insurmountable anxiety that she wouldn’t return. He wondered if he’d check the mirror and only see the dark outlines of an abandoned storage room once more, that it would be another decade until light poured in as the space was cleaned, and another decade after that where someone looked into the mirror, and then yet another decade after that where someone actually saw that he existed - that he was still here.

Kayanar was an opportunity. And he wouldn’t just let it go.

“Me too! But I’m ready and packed this time.” She did a small twirl to show off the backpack she wore, tattered and faded but working just like any other.

“It’s only been days since we’ve met, are you sure you want to go on this trip?”

A question to establish concern and therefore trust. Although, perhaps part of him actually was concerned. She had shown no signs of magic - low defenses - and no self-preservation. But she was all he had. He would have to protect her.

She didn’t answer right away, a wary hand reaching to stroke Voice. In a way, he could feel it. It wasn’t as if he knew her actual touch, but his connection still made him feel the equivalent to a memory of a massage. Strange.

“I like this place, but...it’s a bit sad to be trapped and alone, right?”

Aaravos hummed. Of course, he was trapped and alone, but sad? Not necessarily. He missed voices and company, but that was loneliness. Was loneliness the same as sadness? He’d kept himself plenty amused, learning and relearning all things about the world. A meeting with people was inevitable, that’s why he could wait so calmly. He was fine.

“Perhaps. All the more welcome it is to speak with you.”

“Well,” she continued, “We should start sooner than later.”

“Of course. I appreciate your assistance and your proactiveness.”

“This is the most exciting thing I’ve done in a while!”

She took a closer step to the mirror, placing her palm on the glass and watching him expectantly. What did she want?

“Can you really see what I'm seeing with the bug?”

“In a subdued way. I can only truly see when we are connected as I did with my healing. Your senses become mine. Just as you do, I can see, touch, smell, and hear.”

“Wow, that's so cool.”

Aaravos left out that he could taste, lest it became a reason to show him the ‘crab burgers’ and lower her motivation. A silly concept, considering.

He looked away from the hand he’d been staring at and into her shining, deep brown eyes. She was still waiting. Slowly, he placed his own hand to match hers on the mirror, and then she smiled and turned to leave the room.

Aaravos’ hand pressed harder on the glass as she melted away into the dark, towards the door on the other side of the room. Voice was with her, she wasn’t actually gone again. She’d probably come back as long as Voice was there, right? He exhaled and moved the hand from the mirror and back to his heart.

Loneliness. Not sadness.

Kayanar stepped out of the building, bouncing. Was she skipping? Voice tightened its grip. “So the list you gave me, I don't think anything like these are around here,” she murmured.

“I will guide you, there's no need to worry.”

“This is going to be so fun! It's like we're on a secret mission.”

And he preferred it that way.

Although he couldn't really see Kayanar's surroundings outside of a colorful haze, the delight in her inflection, the chatter of distant passerby, and the crows of farm animals told him it was morning for her. They, hopefully, wouldn't be too disturbed.

“Kayanar, a question if you will.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you truly human?”

She skipped a step as she thought, petting Voice again. “Yes. Why?”

“You could see me in the mirror. Only elves should be able to without magical assistance.”

“Oh...I don’t really know why, then.”

“Interesting. We’ll carry on, then.” But the thought would torment him, his suspicions rising. Would it be possible that his impressions of her were wrong? Perhaps this was all an act, it certainly would explain her lack of questions and willingness to follow his lead. Far more likely would be that she was unknowingly connected to a primal source.

But even if it was all a trap of some sorts…

Her retreating back played in his mind.

“Kayanar.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s return.”

“G-go back to the mirror? Why?”

“I would like to adequately prepare you for this trip.”

It wasn’t a lie. He was incapable.

A few agonizing minutes later, light returned to the storage room. She approached the mirror again and Aaravos silently exhaled. Still here. She was still here.

“Something wrong?” she asked, shrugging off the bag onto the table.

“Although I will providing my own defenses and offenses, it concerns me that you are unaware of your own magic.”

“My magic? But I don’t have any.”

“Fundamentally, that is untrue. All beings are capable of being connected to a primal source. Historically, for humans, they relied on themselves and their inventions so are largely disconnected to a primal source. Thus, they rely on dark magic, but all have the ability to learn and refine magic.”

“But I was told humans can only do dark magic?”

“It’s a lie.”

Kayanar’s eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head. Just the few seconds of silence were enough to make him wary. He should elaborate - not challenge her world views and make her defensive.

“Before embarking on this adventure, it would be easier for both of us if I can understand why you can see me. It would be better to learn why, lest it conflict our goals down the line. For example, if you were connected to the Earth and we travel by ocean, I would know we should rely heavier on my powers.”

Not a lie. But not the main reason for him keeping her here - in his sights, looking at him, a real person who could see him.

“Hmm...yeah, okay. So how do I find out?”

“It could take a while if we use the traditional method.”

Not that he needed to do the traditional method. It could be done in seconds if he so wished.

“Ooh! Traditional? Like an ancient method? Do I have to get struck by lightning?”

“What? No, that won’t be necessary.”

A look of disappointment crossed her features before she was smiling again. “How about Earth, since you mentioned it?”

“Sure, my dear. Bring me back some rock and dirt - something healthy.”

“Got it, boss!”

She scrambled up, gave a casual salute, and then was off again. So began their ‘traditional method’ of finding out her connection to a primal source. Every time she exited the doors, he frowned, even though Voice was with her.

Aaravos couldn’t understand it, and not understanding something was out of his comfort zone. But she came back each time, and for some reason, that was more important than being free. 

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you don't feel this is too slow! Things are starting up but they're going to get very fast, very soon~


	4. Cubes and Curiosities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theories can only get you so far. Aaravos discovers something...interesting.

“The only ones left are Sky, Stars, and the Moon, right?”

Kayanar sighed, sprawled on the old floor and staring up at the ceiling. “How do I get a piece of any of those? Oh!” She suddenly sat up and smiled at him. “If I run really fast, maybe you can check for wind!”

“Pft…”

His hand quickly muffled his laughter as Kayanar looked on in horror.

“ _Aaravos_ …!”

“Apologies for my outburst. There is no need for anything like that.”

“Huh?”

“Here. A gift for you.”

Aaravos removed the makeshift cube from his cloak - nothing like the real one but it would work just once all the same. It was paper, folded into a tiny cube with his writing on all sides.

“Don't unwrap it, alright?”

“Unwrap…?”

The swirling portal he'd used to send Voice still sat on the table, covered. Aaravos lifted the lid and gave her a quick smile. Dropping the cube into it, it popped out the other side, startling Kayanar. She jumped up and rushed to take it out of the jar before it returned to him.

“You can send me stuff?!”

“Indeed.”

“Oh my god...can I send you stuff too, then?”

“You continue to surprise me. Theoretically, yes. What would you wish to send?”

“Me!”

He chuckled and began to open his mouth before realizing she was serious. “You...wouldn’t be able to fit. But even so, it’s not worth you potentially being trapped here with me.”

She lowered her head slowly, absorbing his words as she played with the cube in her hands. “Hey, Aaravos? How do I use this?”¹

“Hold the cube between your palms. I’ll do the rest.”

“Yeah, okay.”

He ignored her dejected tone for now and began to perform the spell. Energy was always coursing through his body, but now it felt like a hot release as the light shone through his fingertips and eyes. Unbridled power, trapped in a smartly decorated prison cell. It probably looked like home to the outside. But now, through Kayanar, he could see his work free to spark in another world - the real world.

Her eyes glowed like his, and the power flooded straight to the cube. Each side glowed for only a moment before jumping to the next. A rainbow cycled the room, splashing against the walls and piled junk until it was over. Just like that.

Aaravos frowned. His results were indisputable, so why was it hard to believe?

The cube flattened in her hands and she let it drop in her lap before looking up at him again. “So…Sky?”

“And why do you think it’s Sky?”

Kayanar hummed. “I think it’d be cool to fly.”

Aaravos’ mind was elsewhere along with his feet that carried him to his shelves. He hummed a vague acknowledgment before he was brushing his fingertips over books, their memories flooding his mind as he touched them until he found what he needed. A book on humans. Distinctly more worn than the rest, despite him typically avoiding it.

He heard her jumping up and touching the mirror again – a favorite, he noticed.

“So what is it?”

But did she already know? His suspicions felt like a shoreline. It was constantly being washed away and then rushing back. He could find out. All it would take is a single spell. But then, whether he was wrong or not to be wary of her, she would lose her trust in him.

He decided to smile at her. “One moment, please.”

“Arg, fine,” she pouted. “I’m going to look through junk then!”

She rushed into the shadows and the sound of scraping and wood echoed around. With a raised eyebrow, he directed his attention back to the book. Certainly, anything was possible with the right guidance and circumstances for humans – he knew that better than anyone. But this was a unique scenario. He leafed through, trying to ignore the pages that brought back hazy, dark memories until he found what he was looking for –

The in-between. Commonly seen as hearsay or sacrilege and usually resulting in death or ostracization, there it was – hybrid. There were few recorded cases, but the scientific community recognized that humans and elves were perfectly compatible for offspring. Although the children typically had no defects, there was little evidence to confirm much else. But the page held a single theory, that the children had no problems connecting to primal sources as purebred humans did. Aaravos traced the single sketch on the short page, wondering how even this made it into any publication. It probably only existed here in his arms now. The child was even smiling, small horns poking from their head. He hated to think of what had become of them.

None of it was new information, he’d hoped to find something forgotten. Kayanar had no horns. But it didn’t make sense for someone human to connect to something like this, something they could never hope to touch in their lifetime.

“Kayanar.”

A scream rang out and banging careened around the room.

“I’m okay!” she called. And then she came running back to the mirror, smiling and bruised on her arm.

“I’ll heal you,” he murmured, already raising his hand.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” she nodded. Kayanar’s eyes glowed with his and once again the mark disappeared.

“Thank you,” she beamed.

A smile that didn’t look like any lie he’d ever seen or read about. But how could she not know?

“I’m curious,” he began, trying to appear half as intrigued as he was, “Where are you from? Or perhaps your biological parents?”

Kayanar’s smile faded with the question, back to a pout and confusion. Another apparent favorite of hers. “We traveled around. Why?”

Vague. Suspiciously vague for someone who had no issues being an open book so far.

Aaravos smiled again as Kayanar’s hand absentmindedly pressed on the glass as she peered up at him.

“It’s just very curious to me that another elf, let alone a human, would be connected with the Stars.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter but: Plot plot plot plot plot!


	5. Stardaisies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins.

“I don’t know about that one, my lord,” Kayanar grinned, a hand pressed to her chin and her voice...distorted. What was she doing?

“You may continue addressing me as Aaravos.”

Her face fell and she stumbled to stand straight. “Oh. I guess you wouldn’t really, uh - how long have you been in there, actually?”

An innocent enough question. One he was, frankly, surprised to hear so late.

“I don’t know.”

“That sucks,” she hummed. “Anyway, can you try again? ‘Stars’ doesn’t make much sense. Isn’t Star really rare?”

“I am very confident in my abilities. And yes, quite.”

“Oh...yeah, sorry.” Her frown creased. She probably thought she offended him, but Aaravos couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t slightly nettled that anyone could even doubt him.

“Well, regardless of the reason, I don’t know anything about magic. But I’m grateful I got connected somehow. Imagine if I just passed you by, that would’ve been awful!”

She would’ve been one of the hundreds to do so.

“It would have been.”

“So...do we start the quest or whatever now?”

His eyes traveled to the backpack still sitting neatly packed on the table. He’d run out of excuses. Whatever this obsessive urge was to be able to physically see his company in front of him had to be let go. It wasn’t logical. Kayanar was committed so far, he should be grateful and not squander his chance.

“Kayanar,” he declared, his arms beginning to raise and his cloak slipping to reveal his arms. “It is with great honor that I-”

“Ahh! Wait! Aaravos!”

He paused his grand gesture, one eyebrow raising.

“Before we start, I can definitely fit a crab burger in your portal thing! If I cut it in half, I’ll be able to fit it.”

She grinned at him, eyes shining and mouth open in agape at her brilliant idea.

His arms lowered. “I...would rather wait to have you treat me in-person.”

“Ah! You’re right. Okay, it’s a promise.”

He kept his smile despite a twitch in his ear. How casually and carefree she made a promise. Did she not know that promises could be life binds? He knew elves that lost their lives to such things.

“It’s still daylight. Should we start now or wait for tomorrow?” she asked, returning to the table to strap on her bag. Was this the last time he’d see her? Aaravos pushed down the idea. He would protect her. Everything would be fine as long as they both willed it to be.

“Since you are of the Stars, it would actually be beneficial to travel by nighttime.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” she hummed. “I have to become nocturnal. It’s alright. I had a hamster, once.”

“A pet?” he said, attempting to ignore the strange way she was wording herself.

“Well, it was more of a pest. But I couldn’t catch it. I tried once, but it was really fast. You know, I’m not sure it was actually nocturnal now that I think about it.”

Aaravos stared. What was he supposed to say to something as mundane as that? Was she expecting a response at all? Against his better judgment, he laughed at the ridiculousness of both her and his loss for words.

“Oh! Oh! Yes!”

It died away and he shook his head. “Yes, what? Why are you cheering?”

“You haven’t been laughing, so I was worried.”

“I see.”

The most intriguing human. She knew how to entertain herself - it was the second thing they had in common after not having any friends. Maybe those were related.

She adjusted her bag and ran to the glass. Beating her to it, Aaravos’ hand rested on her favorite spot. Kayanar stared at his hand for a moment before putting her own against it.

“This will be fun. I’ll get you out of here.”

“Thank you, Kayanar.”

“Mhmm! But there’s a bit of a problem. The ships, no one really travels by night ‘cause it’s dangerous.”

“Then we’ll travel by the stars.”

She blinked at him and he finally finished his grand gesture, letting his cloak flourish behind him in a small gust of wind. Kayanar pressed her head closer, watching as if Aaravos the Entertainer truly was drawing her in with magic.

Glancing to make she was still giving him her attention, he stepped back and let his magic flow through him. It danced along his extremities until it was sweeping him up. Neon lights flicked and licked around his legs – intricate swirls of the cosmos guiding his feet to hover above the ground. Like this, he was as weightless as he imagined space itself.

“Now let’s go,” he declared.

Voice tightened its grip on Kayanar as she began to glow in a similar way, her hands moving to match his position and her eyes glowing with an even brighter, more colorful rainbow. It didn’t look like the stars as much as it did a summer’s day. The colors painted then dulled the room as she wordlessly hovered to the door and finally left his vision.

But connected like this, he could see so much more clearly. The world-or perhaps this town-was nothing like he remembered or envisioned. Strange-looking carts with wheels that must be human vehicles quietly waited in shadows along with stone grounds that couldn’t possibly be nature in their antiquity.

Kayanar continued to say nothing and Aaravos hesitantly pulled back his control. But as he wished, she floated towards the stars as if they compelled her. As someone connected to the Stars, he supposed it shouldn’t be a surprise. Confident, she sailed as briskly as the wind itself, hopping and leaping into the sky and staring at the stars above as if they were guiding steps.

Comfortably, they gliding across the sea. Every jump would take a boat on strong winds thirty minutes. It was effortless. The stars strengthened the two of them – she was leaping even faster than he would’ve alone.

“Aaravos!” she finally spoke, his control faltering as she focused in from her apparent daze.

“Yes? Is something wrong?”

“It’s so beautiful,” she laughed, voice quickly whipped away with their speed.

Her head moved around to inspect the stars around them, and Aaravos paused.

“Yes, it is,” he admitted. Where he lived, the stars never changed. But here? It almost looked unfamiliar. Their patterns he could only vaguely remember from once-upon-a-time, only seen in his dreams of a past that didn’t even feel like this.

“We’re going to go higher. It’s going to be near impossible to use Sun magic here, but I will keep you as warm as possible.”

“Alright, I’m ready.”

He took a deep breath – and pushed.

It was a strain, of course it was. Using Sun magic through a human filter, at night, and when he was already using two other types of magic, physically ailed him. But it did not stop him. They had a mission and he absolutely could not drop her into the chill of the ocean.

She flew upwards and held her arms across her chest, a tiny pulse of orange emitting from them. Through clouds, she winced from the wetness then gasped as the mountain top came into view. Kayanar squeezed herself tighter to encase what little warmth she had and held out her legs for a gentle landing.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, just a little winded. What of you?”

Kayanar floated to her feet but fell to her knees as the Star and Sky magic finally left her. She gasped and Aaravos did the same, leaning against the mirror as he lost his clear vision of the area.

“I’m fine…Aaravos, it’s so beautiful up here. I’ve never seen or heard of these flowers before.”

“They’re…Stardaisies.”

“Star…daisies…? Wow. They do look just like the night, don’t they?”

“Yes. You’ll need just one for the release, but let’s rest a moment before the next part.”

“That’s fine. Please take your time, Aaravos.”

He didn’t smile. He had all the time in the world, actually. Time had never been an issue since the concept of it had been stolen from him long ago.

Aaravos went to sit down at his comfortable desk chair, staring blankly at the mirror to the warehouse. This wasn’t particularly difficult, but it sure _felt_ difficult.

Kayanar didn’t seem to care either way as she hummed dovelike, a wordless lullaby that couldn’t avoid Voice’s ears, and therefore Aaravos’. Strangely, he didn’t mind. It was comforting and somewhat familiar, although he wasn’t sure why. She kept singing, even when Aaravos’ eyes and mind closed.

“It’s the last star. A fire, a gift, a spark…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments so far! This is such a fun project for me :)


	6. Safety is My Priority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before Xadia.

A Stardaisy, a Lavaberry, a Moonleaf. Kayanar laid on the grass, inspecting them all in wonder as evening began to stretch towards her from the horizon.

“I’m starting to think magic exists outside of Xadia,” she giggled.

“What do you mean?” Aaravos asked, putting down the book he was reading.

“Well, we found these plants I’ve never heard of. And they sure seem magical.”

“Magic exists everywhere,” he explained slowly. “Although, I suppose most beasts reside only in Xadia now, correct?”

“Yeah,” she sighed.

He figured. He’d gathered lots of information from being in the den of the Dragon King and Queen, but there were lots of holes he’d yet to fill in regards to knowing what modern human society was like. Not that Kayanar seemed to know a lot about her own home, either.

She was dubiously puzzling. Aaravos knew some things about her home life she kept hidden, skirting around the topic of her family with bored sighs as if he didn’t  _ truly _ want to be bored with her tales. But other things, Aaravos wondered if she didn’t know she was confusing about - like sea snails.

Kayanar had brought them up thrice now, all in off-hand comments vaguely related to the topic or scenery at hand.

“Do you like sea snails, Kayanar?”

She gently rolled the Lavaberry, although he’d already warned her of its potency should she pierce it. She placed them all back into her bag gently, smiling all the while even as she answered so flatly.

“Mm, no.”

Another dead end.

“Okay! Night time! I’ll get ready to go now,” she hopped up. “Where to next?”

“Xadia.”

He waited to hear her reaction but she made no sounds other than her footsteps on grass. By now, he knew that anything but an enthusiastic reply was probably negative.

With a long exhale, Kayanar finally spoke. “Nice.”

“Are you afraid?”

“Not really.”

“If you have any concerns, you know my top priority is your safety.”

“You’re sweet.”

Aaravos raised an eyebrow. Human-on-elf cannibalism? By her tone of voice, he assumed it must be some sort of compliment so he decided not to question it.

“It’s out of my capabilities to cross such a large body of water in a singular trip, so we will have to go to the border.”

“...Aaravos, dragons guard the border.”

He chuckled. “I know. There will be no issue. There’s a full moon tonight after all.”

“Um, yes?”

“Moon magic will be at its highest. I can easily craft an illusion to disguise us. No matter how many dragons guard the border, it does not concern us.”

“Are there moon dragons?”

“I’m unaware of such a thing. But, I am powerful enough that even a master of Moon magic would not easily see through my illusion. Especially if they are not looking for one.”

“Ah,” she whispered. “Hey Aaravos, what will you do after I show you that crab burger?”

“What will I do? As in, my life plans?”

“Mhmm!”

“There are many things I’d like to do. But, I think the first thing I shall do is learn about the new world and how things have changed.”

“Alone?”

“Most likely.”

“Oh…”

She sounded disappointed. Did he say something wrong? He didn’t have time to mull over it as Kayanar yelped.

Aaravos dropped the book as he stood to attention. “Kayanar, what’s happening?”

She screamed and tried to run. “A-arrow! S-someone is...Aaravos!”

Aaravos didn’t know what he felt when he heard the fear and pain in her voice. She was being attacked with weapons to kill. His connection to the world would be lost, cut from him in seconds if an arrow hit its proper mark. Aaravos saw decades and centuries of more darkness ahead of him if Kayanar was torn from him. 

He wouldn’t allow it.

His eyes glowed and he saw it clearly now - elves in human land, probably silencing Kayanar because she was dangerously close to a nearby camp.

Or because they simply hated humans.

Whatever reason they had for attacking wouldn’t matter. He both spoke and drew the quickest, deadliest rune he knew. Blue danced around him, knocking back his chair and making his hair stand.

Lightning flashed from Kayanar’s fingertips, striking straight ahead and through the hearts of the three attackers. They screamed and fell over, black and blood making the holes in their chests where their organs formerly were.

But Aaravos didn’t know if they were alone. He drew a more complex symbol. The earth around Kayanar folded to encase her in a half-circle. She was in pain and shock.

“Calm,” he reassured, attempting to lead by example. He whispered the spell and forced Kayanar to remove the arrow that was lodged directly into her upper thigh. She cried as she tore it out against her will and then skewered her eyes shut as the wound stitched itself together. She huffed as she laid there for a few seconds gathering her bearings, then reaching to touch the now-smooth skin.

Too paranoid, he didn’t disconnect himself from her even as her head began to clear.

“You’re alright,” he declared.

“No,” she choked. She was shaking.

“Stop, stop, Aaravos...get out…”

Aaravos hesitated. “We don’t know if they were the only ones, Kayanar.”

“I don’t care...please.”

Pressing his lips together, he let go. His hair and eyes stopped glowing and he stood there, staring at his floor. Assuming it was a floor and not an elaborate figment of his imagination and magic, assuming this entire experience with Kayanar also wasn’t.

He stumbled forward and then sunk down to sit on the floor, not bothering to pick up the chair yet.

“We should go,” he whispered.

“You killed them.”

So that’s what this was about. He needed to be delicate with her.

“I protected you,” he said, softly. “They attacked you without provocation, without warning. They were murderers and probably experienced.”

She said nothing. Aaravos sighed to himself. Of course she wouldn't understand, she had a child's perspective on war and death. There was nothing he could say that time and experience wouldn't explain more clearly.

“Let's go, in case there are others.”

Kayanar didn't sound angry with him. Not happy, but not as upset as she was a moment ago.

Always so strange. Aaravos stood back up and righted his chair, then picked up the book.

“As you wish.”

Kayanar didn't resist his magic as the earth fell back into place. It was if nothing had changed between them in those five minutes of life-or-death.

She flew through the air as a ghost on his invented wind, both of them just as quiet.


	7. The Night at the Border

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dragon and [redacted] are obstacles at the border to Xadia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a long wait oh nooo but the adventure is still rolling <3

Kayanar floated just above the ground. The rock and gravel of the border spanned as far as the eyes could see. Aaravos wondered if all the relics of the war were removed, or if she’d see skulls and rotting armor in their journey. Even without their connection, her fascination was plain. Every few seconds was an ‘ooh’ or ‘ahh,’ every few minutes a question. Most of the time her head looked like a pendulum, checking out her surroundings in an excited swing.

Other times, like now, her body was the pendulum. She experimented with her floating, spinning herself around until her legs were curled in the air and her hair was nearly snagging on the earth.

Aaravos refrained from asking about it, instead awaiting her next question and hoping each answer brought them further away from the ‘incident’ from hours prior.

Maybe that’s why she was asking so many.

“Aaravos, I’ve never seen a dragon before. How big are they?”

“Hm. Recall the building the mirror is in?”

“Uh huh, pretty big.”

“Maybe about two of those is an average adult dragon size.”

“Wow,” she gasped, trying to spin herself upwards again, “So like, standing or sitting?”

“I suppose standing. Dragon legs are actually quite short in comparison to their torso and necks.”

“Wow, they’re like mmm!”

“What?”

Kayanar righted herself and floated down to the ground. Her head was light, he could feel it.

“Perhaps you should stop spinning for a while.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Relax for me, I’ll direct you,” he offered. There was a long way to go, of course.

“No.”

Aaravos frowned. She still wouldn’t give him total control back. Whatever trust she had given him for that task was shattered when he killed the attacking elves.

“Um, sorry, I mean – I can do it. Don’t worry.”

There was no point in trying to cover up her distrust, but Aaravos nodded.

“As you wish.”

And then she was floating again, skipping through the air and occasionally spinning – right-side up of course – like a dancer. Aaravos smiled to himself.

“Kayanar, do you…” Oh, he hadn’t initiated a question recently. And the one he meant to ask was so mundane that it surprised him.

“Yes? Go on, I can hear you,” she laughed.

“I suppose I was wondering if you were dancer, given the way you enjoy moving so much.”

“Not really, but I do like dancing. I had a lesson or two, nothing serious. I would like to learn someday.”

She bounced in the air, mimicking some sort of watered down rite he’d seen humans before once upon a time.

“I see,” he hummed.

“Do you dance?”

“I used to a long time ago. For social etiquette reasons.”

“What were they like?”

“The dancing?”

“Mmm the dances. You really had to dance to be polite?”

Aaravos leaned back in his chair.

“It’s difficult to…remember details.”

“Oh…”

“But I know it was rude to refuse a dance without reason. They were meant to build trust and friendship. The same way you might offer a guest a homemade good or hug a friend.”

“Sounds nice…”

He didn’t dare ask for her to elaborate on her response.

“Oh! I see something.”

“Yes, I see it, too.”

A large figure in the distance, most likely a dragon guard.

“Kayanar,” he began, “We aren’t in any danger; the illusion is still active. However, we should still avoid it. Shall we go left?”

“Just in case the dragon decides to start burning everything around it out of boredom or stomping?”

“Um, well, yes.”

“Got it!”

She hummed and began twirling to the left, doing it in sync with her made-up rhythm until they were close enough to see the dragon – as large as the buildings and a bright yellow that didn’t mix with their surroundings whatsoever despite them also being of yellow and brown.

“It’s as big as two of those warehouses just like you said,” she gasped.

“Indeed. Why, this dragon is familiar.”

“Yeah?”

“Sol Regem I believe.”

“Wow, you’re friends?”

Aaravos chuckled. “I wouldn’t necessarily go that far.”

“I’ll get closer so you can see him!”

“Ah – there’s no need for that.”

“I want to see him too, no worries!”

Aaravos felt his body heat spiking. Something about this was wrong – a bad decision. The stars were especially bright tonight. Was he…seeing something?

Every skip closer brought a new sensation of panic. He began to raise his arm. He needed control, he needed to get her away.

“Kayanar, we must not go near the dragon.”

Her last twirl ended and she began walking back left again. Aaravos exhaled, then cursed himself for even losing his head. He almost forcibly took control of her without explanation. She might’ve called off the adventure then and there and it would’ve been his fault.

“Are you alright?” she whispered.

“I did not intend to worry you. Please, continue.”

“Yes, but…are you alright?”

Aaravos shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Was he? He wanted to say ‘yes,’ but this mouth wouldn’t form the words. It was a lie and he couldn’t say it.

“I shall be,” he decided on.

“Let’s go faster.”

He would need full control for that. “Kayanar, for now, I can’t really-“

“It’s okay. You can have control.”

Why the change of heart? Once again, he decided not to pry.

“As you wish.”

Aaravos stood and concentrated, gently pushing his way through her until he could feel himself controlling her body.

But then he could see it all – the incomplete vision of danger now in plain sight. There was a survivor from the elf attack – a Moonshadow elf – and they’d been tailing them the whole time. Aaravos looked behind him and concentrated – _there_!

They had cast a small illusion over themselves, more like a chameleon in the sand than actually invisible. But, anger coursed through them as they kept a respectable distance. The elf was going to alert the dragon of their presence and help him see them. And in this vision, Kayanar was going to die.

“What’s happening? An elf?”

“From the attack. They are going to tell Sol Regem about you as we pass.”

Her panic didn’t help him. His control loosened as if she were trying to run out of his arms, but he knew if he squeezed then it’d probably only hurt her.

“Calm down, I will take care of him.”

“The way you did the others?”

His arm twitched from the sudden anger in her words. There was time. He looked away from the elf. Perhaps they didn’t realize they’d been spotted yet.

“No. I will not hurt him if you wish.”

“I do wish.”

“But,” he continued, “even if I subdue him, it might lead to a hunt for you in Xadia.”

“That’s fine, we’ll just be careful.”

Impossible.

“I cannot keep a constant illusion on you, Kayanar. Especially when there is no moon at all.”

“Then we'll just keep running.”

“Kayanar, I-”

“The elf!”

The elf was sprinting, breaking off from them and towards the dragon. They dashed across and Aaravos frowned. He had to be exhausted from the trek thus far. They could catch him.

“It's okay, just focus on what you need to do,” she shouted, falling to her feet and running after him.

“Alright,” he sighed. Something non-lethal, non-potent, and not terrifying for his vessel. Paralysis? He grimaced and they raised their arm in sync.

“I'm using a softer lightning spell, don't worry Kayanar.”

“Gotcha!”

Taking the strange term as an affirmation, Aaravos released a spark that was small and thus hard to aim. More - another - further! Kayanar was gaining ground of him, but he couldn't tell if they were going to make it in time. The elf spun around and threw something that Aaravos knocked out of the air with a wave of their hand. A needle?

The elf suddenly stopped, spinning and skidding on his heels with surprising power and threw two more.

Kayanar threw herself flat to the ground to dodge, but it was merely a distraction. The elf smirked and continued on, barely able to keep his legs from trembling from his exhaustion. Kayanar scurried to her feet and Aaravos blew air, making her yelp as it thrust her forward, sending her in a blur that decreased the distance to merely a fingertip apart. A distance where he couldn’t miss.

Aaravos grunted as the last bolt shot into the assassin’s back, sending him spiraling into a dusty cloud of dirt.

But with full control of his lungs.

He screamed - not from pain, but to alert the dragon. Aaravos didn’t recognize the words he was saying, a worry he stored away for later.

Kayanar scrambled to cover his mouth, pressing as much as she could down on him. Even with his paralyzed body, his muscular physique violently shook under her.

“I’m putting him to sleep,” he sighed.

Kaynar’s hands moved to his temple and Aaravos whispered. In mere seconds, the elf went still, deep in a slumber that would take him long after his empty stomached pained him to wake up from.

“We did it,” she huffed, gasping for air.

“Yes, quite an effort on your part. Surely you haven’t tackled an assassin before?”

Kayanar laughed quietly, pulling herself up from the sleeping elf and sitting on the ground to regain her breath. Aaravos smoothed out his hair and sleeves as he settled down from the rush.

“Oh…”

Her squeak sent it crawling right back.

A cloud blocked the moon, casting a shadow over the dirt but the even bigger one that enveloped her was from Sol Regem, staring quietly in their direction.

“I think we should-”

“Yes,” he interrupted.

Kayanar gave him full control again as she began her useless dash that would never hope to outrun him.

“W-what do we do? Aaravos? Fly?”

They would never outfly a dragon, not even on their best day. With the moon covered and the illusion faltered, they only really had one option.

“Maybe we can talk to-”

“We’ll have to fight him.”

“What?”

Talk to the dragon? Now _that_ he hadn’t considered. Aaravos just wanted to show her flowers, he didn’t want to speed up the start of another war. His plans had been foolish, why did he ever decide to do this? And more importantly, why couldn’t he have foreseen this happening?

Maybe that was it.

It explained everything - he was seeing half of the picture, half of his visions as if he were completely new to Star magic. Because he _couldn’t_ use it, no, everything had been from Kayanar when they were connected. He could use every primal source except his most inherent and presumed dangerous one. It had to be the mirror’s doing.

He’d laugh if he were in a better situation.

“Aaravos?”

“Stop running. I will speak.”

Her trembling legs told him of her fear. “Don’t worry, I will assure your safety.”

He was confident. This could work. “May I?”

“Y-yes, okay.”

Full control was relinquished - it was strange to hear her voice with his words. They rumbled together, inflections mixing as her feather-light voice sometimes drowned under his baritone one, other times clear enough to focus on while his became a shadow.

_“Sol Regem...please...heed my words.”_

The dragon's eyes narrowed into tiny black beads that focused with deadly intent into her face, but Aaravos made her continue to stand.

_“We mean no harm to Xaida, elven, nor dragon kind. We merely request safe passage for a week’s journey into the land. We are acquiring life-changing plants that will have no impact upon the land.”_

He shook his powerful head.

_We?_ He asked.

_“An elf accompanying this human.”_

_We?_ He asked again.

_“...Aaravos.”_

He roared. They fled.

But Sol Regem didn’t pursue, instead shouting things Aaravos didn’t dare translate for his companion.

She didn’t say anything, trembling in his hold as they faded out of view and back into the illusion that would protect them for the time being.

“We’re alright, Kayanar. He won’t alert the others, the elf is our concern.”

“Okay…”

They glided over stone that became lava and stone and then became an angry, red current. It boiled and popped hot gas that would make anyone shiver had they not already been terrified - like Kayanar. Time passed achingly slow - even for Aaravos - as the lava faded out of view and green spread before them in the distance. Slowly, Aaravos’ control waned. Kaynar wrapped her arms around herself as the night’s chill crept in, far away from the lava that had given her a false sense of comfort.

As soon as they passed the threshold that was the forest, Aaravos set her in the nearest thicket, letting his eyes wander over the unfamiliar plants that sprouted near them as Kayanar sat down.

“What are you looking for?” she whispered.

“...Familiarity.”

“Oh…”

Her fingers pinched the nearest one, a red-leafed and blue-tipped flower that was still in its bud and twirled it between her fingers, careful not to tear it out of the ground.

“Do you know what this is?”

“It appears to be a crossbreed between a dandelion and a dragon’s carnation, but I can’t say for sure.” Just how much had changed? This wasn’t a single, mutated plant but...what appeared to be natural and common here.

Again, he felt uneasy.

“It’s really pretty.”

Kayanar gently brushed a leaf and then let go, staring across the quiet thicket and breathing slowly.

“I agree with you.”

Aaravos exhaled and let himself enjoy the moment, a little less uneasy just from her carefree appreciation of the land.

“If the rest of Xadia is like this, it’s no wonder the elves and dragons wanted to keep it to themselves.”

Aaravos tapped a heavy finger against his cheek. Her statement was free of any venom but the sting of her reality was still a blaring beacon that she wasn’t ignorant of her position as a human in this place. Was this feeling regret? He was unsure.

“Was Sully Regen angry at you? I don’t really understand. He yelled something, but he didn’t chase us.”

“Sol Regem. Perhaps,” he hummed.

“Then what was he?”

“Disappointed.”

“Oh…”

She didn’t pry further and instead pet Voice, closing her eyes and relaxing fully against the soft earth.

“I’m sorry, Aaravos.”

“Why, what for?”

“I wasn’t careful. I just know you really needed me to go to Xadia to help you, so I was focused and...not paying enough attention.”

Aaravos had no obligation to contradict her. It was in his best interest not to. But he closed his eyes and opened his mouth anyway.

“Kayanar, if you feel the need to apologize then I shall as well.”

“Oh, but’s not your fault the elf saw us. You had no way of knowing.”

But he could’ve.

“It’s not that,” he continued on, pacing his room and stretching his fingers, “it’s for this journey. We didn’t need to go to Xadia.”

“What…?”

For the first time in an hour, she sounded alert.

“These flowers...are not necessary to release me.”

“But...why?”

“I merely wanted you to enjoy the process, to show you new things you might not have accessed otherwise.”

Her mouth clamped shut as she sat up, pressing herself against the bush.

“Are you upset?”

“No…”

She exhaled loudly and buried her face in her knees.

“Then how are you feeling?”

“Sad.”

“I did not mean to distress you.”

“No, I just...You’re always so worried about me. But what about you, Aaravos? You don’t need to do all of this for me. I just want you freed. You _do_ want to be freed, don’t you?”

The ‘yes’ on his lips wouldn’t come out.

A lie?

Aaravos looked around at his library and room - his life - his empty prison with its single outlet in the form of a human woman with a limited lifespan.

Aaravos then walked to the mirror, pressing a hand to it and looking ahead at the pitch dark storage room.

He’d wanted to be freed for so long.

The answer should’ve been easy, he’d been thinking it for centuries. He imagined rejoining the world, learning all he’d missed, finding the descendants of those he once cherished...and he imagined the war-torn turmoil he might face, the hatred that could be spat in his direction, and finding that there were no descendants of murdered mothers.

“I don’t know.”

“Are you scared?”

Was he? No, he could handle any reality.

“I have concerns.”

“Well, no matter what, I’ll be there. You don’t have to face the world alone.”

He raised an eyebrow, leaving the mirror and walking towards his ‘outside.’ Kayanar was still so dutiful to him despite her clear aversion to killing. It wasn’t so long ago, yet it was all but forgotten. Endearing and suspicious...per usual.

“It appears so.”

“Mm...goodnight, Aaravos. Let’s sleep.”

It wasn’t wise to slumber in such a location, but he and Voice would keep an eye and hear vigilant. With a dragon at the border, it was unlikely to need patrols here.

Aaravos stepped out into his permanent sunlight, leaning on his balcony and looking out into both the white nothingness and floating, ethereal cathedrals that twinkled with blue-and-violet lights he longed to join. Were his people still there? Were they ever there at all? What would they think of his hesitation?

Voice moved from its position as the soft and deep breathing of a sleeping Kayanar filled his ears.

“Goodnight, Kayanar.”


End file.
